Nightshade In the Dark
by nldumont
Summary: When the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood has feelings for the Keeper she doesn't know what to do and when the Keeper completely changes from speaking in third-person to speaking in first-person she doesn't know what to do. *In-progress, just trying to get my writing out there*


She was treading dangerously close to the ledge. She had two Deathlord Draugr, swinging there used Nordic swords at her. She started to slow down with her blocking as she neared the edge. Her small form was crumbling against the Draugr.

She screamed a blood-curdling cry that could make anyone's skin crawl. Deep crimson blood dripped from her upper arm and a sharp pain surged through her arm. She tried to dodge and block the two Deathlord's attacks.

Seeing her follower come in sight, she swung at the Draugr closest to her. Her follower slashed at the second Draugr. The Draugr swung one more time at her. She blocked the swing and lost her footing. She plunged down into the water below.

"Listener!" Her follower screamed as he plunged his sword into the Draugr he was fighting and slit the throat of the other. She hit the water with a loud splash. Nearly diving down the stairs of the ancient cavern, he ran down the steps to get to his Listener.

"Listenerrrrrr..." He shrieked as he reared the corner of the stairwell, seeing that the Listener had not come to the surface yet. Dropping all of his stuff, he dove head first into the ice-cold water.

Swimming to the surface of the water, with the Listener in his arms, he climbed out of the water. He leaned the Listener up on the wall and turned to his pack.

"Where is that stupid thing?" He could hear light coughing.

"What are you looking for?"

"Bandages for your arm." Keeping her left arm hard against her rib cage, she got up using the wall for support. She stumbled towards him. He immediately got up to steady her.

"I am fine. Just lost my footing. Nothing I haven't done before."

"Yes, true...but this time you didn't jump." He looked at her like he was remembering the times she has jumped great heights into the waters below.

"You know how I am, I didn't drown or die, so I am good."

"True, but you know that scares the life out of me."

She chuckled, "Now you're sounding like Nazir."

"We should find a safe place to camp for the night, or we could travel back to the nearby village. You choose."

"I want to finish searching this place."

"No, I will not let you search here anymore. You're hurt and need Babette to get something on that wound." He motioned for her to sit back down, then he turned back to his pack and kept rummaging through it.

"Don't start pouting." He scolded her as he looked over his shoulder. She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Please, just this once. It's only a small little cut-"

"No! You need Babette to stitch your wound. Also, you fell 10 feet from where you were standing."

"Well, at least it was water at the bottom and not land." She crossed her arms in front of her.

"Well, if you don't pick I will. I say we head back to the village and stay there, then get an early start tomorrow morning."

"Did you forget about the Forsworn?" She said with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"We will bunk here tonight and head out tomorrow morning. But I am staying up tonight."

"What, to watch and see if I sneak away to finish exploring?"

"You know me too well." He chuckled. He found the bandages and turned to the small form of his Listener.

"Arm." He said with a gentle harshness. He sat on his knees in front of her. She stuck her arm out and he wrapped the bandage around her wound.

"Ow! Not so tight." Her followers head popped up in fear that he hurt her.

"Did I hurt you Listener?" There was something else in his eyes.

"Just a little..." She looked deeper in his eyes to try and find what else was there.

"Would it hurt less if I placed my hand here?" He lightly placed his hand just above her knee. He thought if he caused her discomfort somewhere else it would help the pain in her arm.

"Would it hurt if I did this?" He squeezed a pressure point next to her knee.

"Ah...ah...ah. Cicero stop...please." She begged as she tried not to look like she was uncomfortable. His hand dropped from her knee as he looked at her.

"You haven't called me Cicero since..." He trailed off.

"I am sorry. Please don't be mad."

"Listener, say it again. Say my name again."

"Cicero..."

He hummed as he heard his name being called.

"My sweet Listener saying my name. The disgusting name of this fool pouring out of the sweet lips of my Listener." He looked away as he backed up and sat on his heels. It pained her to see the Keeper like this. She started to reach out her hand when she stopped mid-way and pulled it back. He looked up at her from where he was sitting.

"My Listener-"

"Don't call me that."

"Call you what?"

"Call me by my name." He didn't break eye contact as he pondered the thought of calling the leader of the Dark Brotherhood by her name.

"It would be disrespectful."

"Does it look like I care?"

"What about the Night Mother? She would feel disrespected."

"The Night Mother has no say in this. If I want to be called by my name, so be it. " He breathed in a breath before saying her name out loud.

"Reem..." He breathed out her name. He broke the eye contact as he got up. She got up with him.

"Stop this, my Listener." He said. She took a couple of steps back as tears filled her eyes. She turned away and walked towards the long ramp of stairs. He turned back to look at her.

"Don't look at me!" She snapped.

"Where are you going?" He questioned. She climbed a couple of the steps and stopped.

"I am going home."

"You fool. We both know that you can't fight like this." Tears were streaming down her face as she kept her back towards him.

"You're the fool! You don't realize how much I love you. How much I want you. You are the fool and will always be! You will never know how much I hated myself after what happened when Astrid told me to kill you! You don't get it. I love you, but all you see me as is the Listener." She yelled at him with every ounce of anger in her.

"Listener-"

"No! Leave me. I could care less if the Forsworn got me. I don't care anymore!" He started to climb the stairs. She turned around, breaking the eye contact she had with him.

"I just wish things were back to normal when we were just friends. Before everything with the Night Mother happened. Before I became Listener!" She sobbed.

Reaching the step she was on, he reached out to wipe away her tears. She pulled back. She had no control over her emotions as she started up the stairs again. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a strong embrace. She collapsed in his embrace as she sobbed. Tears stained her cheeks and his shirt.

He moved down the stairs with her still in his arms. She clung to him as she kept on crying. He didn't know what to do, so all he did was hold his sweet Listener.

She finally pulled back from him.

"I am sorry, I don't know what came over me." She said tear stains all over her cheeks and shirt.

"If you need some time I can set up camp somewhere." He longed to hold her again. He longed to wipe away all her tears. He longed to feel her soft lips against his.

"I am fine." She said, though there were nothing there but words.

He shook his head. "No, stay here and clean up. I will be around the corner."

She turned and picked up his pack and handed it to him. He took it not looking in her eyes. They both turned away from each other, him turning towards the empty room that lay ahead, and she towards the water.


End file.
